Tanning-vat.



PATENTED DEG. 12, 1905:

R. KOENITZBR.

TANNING VAT.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. zs,19o4.

Lani.'

UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

TANNlNG-VAT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1905.

Application filed November 28, 1904. Serial No. 234,471.

To all whom it may con/cern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT KOENITZER, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tanning- Vats, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in tanning-vats; and it consists of the novel arrangement, construction, and combination of parts, as will be fully hereinafter described and claimed.

The object of my invention is to provide a vat having a plurality of shafts extending across the top on which are supported hides or skins, the said shafts being rotated, winding up the hides and unwinding the same by reverse motion.

A further object is that by suspending the hides upon these shafts and by winding and unwinding the hides thereon by rotating the shafts rst in one direction and then in the opposite direction the hides or skins will be dipped in the tanning solution, and thereby tan in a more perfect and rapid condition than is now done by the present methods.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of my complete invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation with part broken away, showing the shafts in section and the manner in which the hides are suspended. Fig. 3 is a detail crosssectional view of one of the shafts, showing the hides in a wound position. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the shafts.

vIn the construction of the device asshown I provide a vat 5, composed of the sides 6 and 7, the ends 8 and 9, and the bottom 10. The side 6 is provided with holes, which act as bearings for the pintle 1l, formed on one end of the shaft 12, the side 7 having bearings 13 for the insertion of the pintles 14, formed on the opposite end of the shaft 12. On the pintles 14 are rigidly mounted the sprocketwheels 15, said wheels being operated by a sprocket-chain 16, driven by the wheel 17, which is mounted upon a driving-shaft 18, supported by suitable bearings at the end 9 of the vat. The driving-shaft has a double set f tight and loose pulleys, which are connected by bolts to a suitable mechanism for reversing the revolution of the shafts at a given` period. This reversing motion must be done when the hides are completely wound, thus preventing the hide from continually being This reversing rolled around with the shaft.

' erably as shown in the drawings.

mechanism I do not consider as a new element of construction, as I use a common and wellknown mechanism similar to that used for reversing the motion of the table or bed-plate of a machine-planer. The belt 19 revolves the shaft in one direction, while the belt 20 revolves in the opposite direction. 12 are formed with their pintles eccentric to the shaft proper. This is for the purpose of permitting the main body of said shaft to dip within the tanning solution in the vat, which is at a height suicient to cover the entire hide whensuspended from the shaft, yet preventing an overflow through the bearingopenings in the sides 6 and 7.

On the top of the side 7 is located a strip 7 a, provided with a plurality of recesses which communicate with the pintle 14, said strip acting as the upper half of the bearing for the operating-shafts. The liquid in the tank is of a height permitting the hides When in a suspended position to be completely submerged in the tanning liquid, and as the eccentric shaft is revolved the winding of the hides upon the shaft is designed to remove said hide from the liquid, and by means of this winding process the solution is squeezed out of the hides, so that the atmosphere may penetrate the pores. The liquid oozing from the pore-sof the hides is of weaker strength than that contained in the vat and by the redipping of the hides in the solution will increase the tanning process. By constructing the shafts in this manner the liquid is prevented from overflowing through the pintle-openings.

The hides are attached to the shafts by tying, tacking, or hooking; butin the drawings I show a manner of tying the same. I provide holes 21 through the shaft through which is passed a lash 22, supporting the hides, said lashes being tied at the top. These holes may be located at any point, as desired, but pref- If the hides are tacked upon the shaft, a non-corrosive The shafts IOO material for the tacks must be used, so that the tanning solution is by no means injured.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The hides and skins to be tanned are suspended from the shaft in a vat containing a tanning solution which is of a depth to suiiiciently submerge the entire hide. The shafts are then placed in operation and rotated until the entire hides are rolled upon said shafts. At this period the shafts are reversed and the hides permitted to unwind until suspended at their length, the rotation continuing winding IIO up the hides in the opposite direction until said hides are again completly rolled, and then the reverse motion is repeated. This repetition of reversing the motion of the shafts has a tendency to stretch the grain and open the pores of the hide, permitting the tanning solution to penetrate said hides, thus tanning a hide in a shorter period and producing a better quality of leather than any known method of tanning.

.A device of the class described comprising a vat; shafts located in a frame on top of said 

